1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing system for printing documents, photographs, drawings, and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printing systems are known that include a terminal device, a job server, and a printing apparatus.
Such printing systems employ a method called “pull print”. When a worker wants to print a document or the like onto a sheet of paper, the worker first uses a terminal device to input a job issuance instruction indicating that a job for printing a document or the like should be issued to the terminal device. In response thereto, the terminal device generates job information including print data with respect to the document or the like, and transmits the job information to the job server. The job server receives the job information transmitted from the terminal device, and stores the job information. Then, the worker uses the printing apparatus to input a job execution instruction indicating that the job for printing the document or the like should be executed by the printing apparatus. In response thereto, the printing apparatus requests the job server to transmit the job information thereto, receives the job information transmitted from the job server in response to the request, and executes the job based on the job information. In this manner, the document, or the like, is printed onto a sheet of paper, and the worker receives a printed matter related thereto.
In such a printing system, the following method is used to ensure the security of the document, or the like, at the time of printing thereof. When the worker uses the terminal device, the worker inputs his/her own identification information (for example, password) in the terminal device authenticating himself/herself as a registered worker. The terminal device reads the identification information on the worker, and when generating the job information, adds the identification information on the worker to the job information. Meanwhile, when the worker uses the printing apparatus, the worker inputs his/her own identification information into the printing apparatus to thereby have himself/herself authenticated as a registered worker. The printing apparatus reads the identification information on the worker, and when making the request of the job server to transmit the job information, sends the identification information on the worker to the job server along with a command to request transmission of the job information. The job server transmits the job information to which identification information is added that matches the identification information on the worker transmitted from the printing apparatus to the printing apparatus. This allows the worker to execute only the job issued by the worker himself/herself. Therefore, it is possible to prevent access to a job issued by a given worker that has been executed by another person without permission and also to prevent the improper use or disclosure of printed matter on which a related document or the like is printed.
In the above-described printing system, wherein security is ensured by identification information input directly by the worker, no one can perform a job but the worker who has generated the job himself/herself. This makes it difficult and inconvenient for the worker who has generated a job to ask another person who has security clearance to perform the job and obtain the printed material related thereto. That is, the above-described printing system sacrifices convenience for security.